by Drew Hayes
“How did you get here... so fast?” The pause for breath mid-question only drove home how depleted Mrs. Croskey was.
“I’ve got friends who are handy at transportation, and I promised that if you needed me, I’d be here.”
“The town... needs you.”
That earned Mrs. Croskey a frown, along with a resigned sigh. “Fine. But keep my name out of it, if you can. I don’t want them thinking it’s some bit of hometown pride. Personally, they could raze this place and I wouldn’t bat an eye.” She leaned in, lightly kissing the older woman on the forehead. “Except I know how much it would hurt you.”
She stood back to her full height, then lifted a finger. From the wound on Mrs. Croskey’s hand came a small tendril of blood, which wound its way around Morgana Le Faye’s finger, before shaping itself into a dagger. The Blood Witch of the villains’ guild clutched her weapon tightly, then turned back to the forest.
“Now then, let’s deal with the dead pieces of shit who dared to wound my favorite teacher.”
Agent Quantum looked up at the roof again and frowned. “You sure you can get an angle on that? Seems like the closest point we can see would have you both dropping a good distance to the ground below, not to mention drawing attention.”
“Have a little faith. This is my one trick, and I’m pretty damn good at it,” Presto replied. “I’ll squeak us over the edge of the roof so we don’t have far to go. There’s no way around the visibility part, though. If I can see it, then I can teleport there, but I do have to see it. Which means when we pop out, we’ll be in plain view before the fall starts.”
“Which is exactly why, when they do that, you and I are charging in the front door.” Tachyonic was fiddling with his bracer, getting the output settings just right. Once this battle started, there wouldn’t be many chances for casual recalibration, so it was important he start off properly. “I’ll run defense, you go right for the entrance. Once we’re in, the roof team starts laying down cover, breaking up the crowds that charge after us. Plasmodia, you still okay getting teamed with a villain?”
She hesitated for only a small moment before giving a blonde-hair-bouncing nod. “Not ideal, but what about this is? So long as he keeps shooting at the people attacking, we’ll be good. If he tries anything, I’ll pop that can open and see how tough our villain is then.”
The four superheroes exchanged glances once more, before looking out to the small army blocking them from their goal. It was not the first time they’d faced such a situation, if one counted training. Professor Quantum had been relentless in preparing them for what he considered to be the most vital part of superhero work: efficiently neutralizing threats. After weeks in the real world, they’d begun to understand all the gaps such training had left in their knowledge, gaps that had caused the sorts of mistakes that had put them on the wrong foot with this town. But for all their failings, the New Science Sentries still knew how to fight. Today, it looked as though they might finally have a chance to work in their element.
Slowly, one by one, the eyes all turned to Agent Quantum, their unquestioned leader. Not because he was the most dangerous, which went to Plasmodia, or the fastest, obviously Tachyonic, or even the most perceptive, a title all would begrudgingly give to Presto. Not even because he was the one chosen by Professor Quantum to head the team.
Agent Quantum was their leader because, above all else, he had their trust. They believed in him, in the way he saw the world, in the team he wanted to lead. He might not always lead them to safety—that was the price of being a superhero—but each knew he would give every drop of blood in his veins to bring them back alive, and the feeling was reciprocated.
“The time is here. New Science Sentries: attack.”
In terms of rallying cries, there was room for improvement, but the results could hardly be questioned. Agent Quantum and Tachyonic burst from their hiding place, loudly drawing attention in a way no real attackers would. The plan worked flawlessly, as suddenly, dozens of heads swiveled in their direction. Worse, they didn’t just turn, the faces reacted. Lit up, in fact, at the sight of what should have been a sign that the party was over. Instead, they all looked like someone was rolling in with a truck of fresh food and drink, a few actually rubbing their palms together like greedy cartoon characters.
Nearby, Agent Quantum caught sight of several raising their unusual weapons—these resembled junkyard scraps welded into roughly gun-like shapes, similar to what they’d seen on the streets lately. None of them got raised higher than mid-waist before the blur zipping through the crowd struck. Sometimes it knocked the guns away; others received swift kicks to the back of their knees to send them sprawling; and a few just got flat-out coldcocked into unconsciousness. Agent Quantum had no idea how Tachyonic was picking which target to give which strategy; perhaps he was trying all three on each person and seeing what worked. It had to be taxing. Even with his speed, there were so many opponents to keep track of.
Agent Quantum made the job as easy on his teammate as he could, weaving wide to avoid fights and focus on speed. Some confrontations were unavoidable, however, as a one-eyed man with horns along his skull tried to halt Agent Quantum’s charge. Tough as he looked, a single blow to the ribs was enough to send him hurling back, and Agent Quantum realized he’d forgotten to factor his current momentum into the punch. It was stronger than needed, but had the side effect of scaring a few nearby threats, so Agent Quantum seized the opportunity and bolted ahead.
He glanced up to the roofline just in time to catch Plasmodia’s legs going over the side, out of view. That meant the sniper team was now in position, and no one appeared to be reacting to the roof, so hopefully, they’d slipped by unseen. With the distraction done, his only task remaining was to make it through the front door.
Pumping his legs, Agent Quantum didn’t bother hitting the next person who jumped in his way, mostly because he’d plowed over them before there was even a chance to react. Something stung his back, fluorescent yellow strings that seemed to sear wherever they touched extending from a nearby crook’s arm. It was tempting to deal with, but the lone glance back showed Agent Quantum how many of the momentarily stunned enemies were recovering both their wits and their weapons, all with their attention on him.
With the top speed he could muster, Agent Quantum barreled ahead, lowering his shoulder and knocking aside a few hefty gentlemen that tried to block him with mere mass. The effect was similar to a bowling ball cleaving through pins, sending them scattering and opening up a clear path inside. Agent Quantum took it, continuing to bolt forward until he turned a corner and nearly collided with a scaly green wall.
Except, it wasn’t actually a wall. It was Bahamut, the dragon who’d managed to fight him to a stalemate only a few weeks earlier. Normally, Agent Quantum wouldn’t have been so happy to see someone so dangerous, but if they were going to team with villains, better they at least pull their own weight.
“Agent Quantum,” the dragon greeted. “You should follow me. There’s quite a few people on your heels, and this isn’t the place to deal with them.”
Lozora didn’t especially care about how they’d done it. All that mattered was that the New Science Sentries had gotten inside. Really, she’d done everything but leave a neon sign and a key in the lock, but they’d managed it eventually. With them in position, the preamble could finally come to an end. It was time to get down to business.
On her phone, she sent a single message: “The piñata is stuffed.” With that, her employer was officially notified. Nearby, blocking devices keyed to specific signals engaged, triggered by her message. In other parts of the city, different teams were turned loose, creating a buffer of crime in case any passing patrol might head their way. The capes wouldn’t be able to call for any more backup. From this point on, they were stuck with what they had until the man who’d put it all together arrived. She still wasn’t sure how he would make the approach—perhaps by air, or maybe burrowing up from under the street. It would
n’t really even shock her if he simply walked out of a coffee shop and strolled up to the front door. The man loved to keep secrets, even from those in his employ, and that included his own entry methods. It didn’t especially matter; Lozora had kept her end of the bargain and brought the target into the trap. If her employer failed from this point on, there was no one to blame but himself.
Nevertheless, she still rose and prepared to take a more active role if needed. Whether the blame would be deserved or not, she’d dealt with enough despots to know they rarely saw fault within themselves. Making sure this stayed on the rails was how she ensured there were no snafus in her payday.
Besides, after working so hard to put this piece on the board, there was no way Lozora was going to miss the actual game.
Chapter 110
It was kind of like watching the inception of a parade. As Agent Quantum ran, the rest of the crowd came alive, realizing something of note was happening. If there’d been any doubt in Hephaestus’s mind who they were here for, it vanished at the obvious reactions from the hodgepodge army. This was their target all right, and they pursued him with the gusto one would expect after so much milling around. Together, they surged forward on his heels, slowed by their own numbers but giving chase nonetheless, forming a river of bodies in Agent Quantum’s wake.
The gauntlets were primed and ready, and from the glow rippling off Plasmodia, she was in a similar state. Cyber Geek sat posted up on the actual edge of the roof, hidden by a cloak he’d pulled out as he kept an eye on the goings on through the scope on his huge Blaster Brahs gun. Only Presto didn’t look ready to fire, since he had an entirely different job to do.
“Once Agent Quantum and Tachyonic are clear, aim for the middle of the crowd. Let’s break them up and limit how many get inside.” Cyber Geek gave the orders, since obviously the villains weren’t being trusted to that extent, though Hephaestus had no objection to the situation. Between the two of them, Cyber Geek had logged far more hours in actual combat with just this last year, to say nothing of Donald’s love for games that required tactics and strategy. And it meant she was free to break off if need be without leaving them in the lurch. “Remember, stunning shots only.”
That last bit was obviously directed at Hephaestus, who rolled her eyes even though no one else could see through the helmet. “I bet that’s what all their weapons are set at, too.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Cyber Geek rebutted. “We aren’t them. We’re superheroes. No more bloodshed than is absolutely necessary.”
There was the end of their discussion, as Agent Quantum finally made it through the front door, a blur on his heels less than a second later. No one needed the cue—they’d all just gotten it—and almost in unison, the shots burst forth.
Hephaestus’s gauntlet beams didn’t really have a “stun” setting, so instead, she fired a few feet in front of the crowd, creating visible damage in the concrete and pulling most of them up short. Some kept right on going, only to be smacked aside by bright bolts blasting out of Plasmodia’s hands. Based on how hard they were being sent flying from those shots, Hephaestus had a hunch they were only just barely on the non-lethal side, perhaps the weakest Plasmodia could manage.
For the bulk of the group that stopped at the sight of Hephaestus’s beams, Cyber Geek had something special. He fired directly into the center of them, releasing an explosion of crackling blue light that sent nearly every crook hit down to the ground, twitching. They couldn’t have asked for a better opening shot, which was a good thing, because with eyes twisting upward, their advantage of surprise was officially spent.
No more freebies. Now, they were getting fired back on. Chunks of brick exploded into the air as they all ducked down, save for the lone member who hadn’t fired a single shot yet. Smacking his hands on his costume’s pants, Presto tilted his head up to the sky. “Looks like that’s my cue.”
He vanished, reappearing some distance off, much higher up. That position lasted only a moment before he was gone again. Hephaestus carefully approached the roof’s edge as the shots tapered off, poking her helmet up while making sure to stay in flame form inside, just to be safe. What greeted her was a scene of masterful chaos.
Presto was there, popping around, moving the crooks along with him. Whenever he saw one taking aim to shoot, they’d suddenly find themselves reoriented, firing into a fellow criminal. Not only were they taking one another out, but the ersatz betrayals were causing fights among their ranks. He darted around like that for nearly a full minute before vanishing, only to reappear overhead, then pop directly to their sides once more.
“That should give you all a little breathing room. We can do this trick maybe twice more before they wise up and really focus fire on the roof. Also, heads up to the indoor team, I saw a few slipping in the front during the confusion.” While he kept the panting out of his voice, Presto’s chest was rising and falling quickly—using so much power had left him winded.
“Good. It means we’re doing our job right,” Plasmodia said. “Break them up into manageable chunks for the rest to handle.”
Hephaestus tilted a head to the well-manicured hands that were rippling with energy. “I think you could break them into literal chunks. Those sure seem easier to handle.”
“I told you, we’re not doing that,” Cyber Geek snapped.
“You say that now, while things are going well. What if the tide starts to turn? What are you willing to do when your team’s lives are at risk?”
She’d expected another canned reply, but that was her own failing. This was not just a generic cape, no matter how often he could fall into the habits of one. Donald Moss was a man who loved superheroes, yes, but who also thought deeply about the things he did. “I know that sometimes, there is no getting around a lethal shot in this job. I had to kill an interdimensional monster on my first time out, but that same situation could have easily happened with a meta-human. Even Lodestar has had to throw that final punch a few times. Whether or not it’s in me to kill another person, I don’t think I’ll know until the moment comes, but I refuse to take that step a single moment before it becomes absolutely necessary.”
“Agent Quantum would make the same call.” It was perhaps the first time Hephaestus had noticed Plasmodia really look at Cyber Geek since arriving on the roof.
Even Presto seemed a tad impressed, if one paid more attention to his tone than his words. “Yeesh, now we’ve got another of them to compensate for.”
There was clearly no winning this battle, so Hephaestus opted to let it go, though she couldn’t resist one final bit of parting wisdom. “I admire your resolution and dedication to your ideals. Just remember, there’s a cost to taking the high road.”
Cyber Geek’s eyebrows pinched as he pointedly looked up and down the armored suit. “As opposed to your way?”
“Oh no, my road has its own costs, too. I imagine they all do.” Hephaestus returned to the roofline, gauntlets charged to fire once more. “But I live my life prepared to pay them. Be sure you’re ready to do the same.”
This was, in Medley’s estimation, total bullshit. Being behind Agent Quantum’s combat skills had been one thing. He was the inheritor of a legacy team, and had clearly been provided with ample training as part of that. The fact that Medley could fight on nearly the same level was almost a point of pride, even if Agent Quantum was clearly ahead. But now, before his eyes, Medley was realizing that he wasn’t the second strongest member of this motley combat team: he was third.
As it turned out, Bahamut was quite a great deal more adept at brawling than Hephaestus. While the former used his suit’s bulk and weapons to make up for gaps in skill, Bahamut had no such failings to cover. Despite the size, he was quick and sure, cracking the man emitting smoke from his ears hard in the ribs, sending him tumbling to the ground. A huge fellow with some kind of cobbled-together electro-axe swung for Bahamut’s flank while he should have been distracted, except the green dragon ducked under the blow, striking back with a k
ick to the knees that earned a horrific yowl from the axe-wielder as he crumpled to the ground.
It was to Medley’s disadvantage that he was on the side of the capes in this contest. Unlike Bahamut, he and Agent Quantum were putting their targets down with as little damage as they could manage, while the dragon seemed to be paying a passing effort at most to not being lethal. Near Agent Quantum, a goon produced dripping purple blades from his arms, angling them directly for the cape. He never even came close, as Bahamut grabbed him from behind, spun the man’s arms, and sank both blades into the limbs of two other crooks, both of whom dropped to the ground immediately.
“Oh, that stuff is dangerous,” Bahamut noted. He twisted the arms inward, the captive struggling vainly against the dragon’s superior might, until the blades were plunged into the wielder’s own legs. While it did appear to hurt, he didn’t have the same reaction as the first pair.
“Stupid fucking lizard, of course I’m immune to my own poison.”
“Guess that does make sense.” The crack turned Medley’s stomach, even before he looked to confirm. Sure enough, Bahamut had snapped poison-blade’s arms at the elbow; both were hanging limply at his sides. “Looks like you’re not immune to broken bones, though. Or concussions.”
That was the only warning before Bahamut’s fist smashed into his face, sending the broken man flying back into a wall, where he wouldn’t be able to sneak up on them with those potent blades. Agent Quantum looked aghast, but in the midst of a fray, he didn’t exactly have the spare time to object.
As for Medley, he deflected a pair of bone-daggers hurled by one of his nearest opponents, then noticed they were still airborne, floating around to his rear. Somebody was pairing with a telekinetic; a smart combination, but less useful once noticed. Medley dropped to a crouch, his body’s natural pouncing position, then leapt, jumping over the bone thrower to an inconspicuous invader who’d been hanging to the sides. A surprised face, one swift punch, and just like that, the daggers clattered down once more. The physical threats were straightforward to deal with; they had to handle anyone who could throw curves as soon as possible.